Triclosan
The FDA has finally come out with some strong words regarding Triclosan, the active ingredient of almost all consumer products labeled as “antibacterial.” Triclosan has been the target one of my personal crusades ever since I began studying the science of cleaning chemistry. Originally developed as a pre-surgery scrub for medical professionals, it is an effective anti-microbial agent and fungicide that doesn’t have the side effect of causing dry skin like alcohol- or peroxide-based hand sanitizers. It kills germs by interfering with enzymes necessary for fatty-acid synthesis.
The problem with Triclosan (and other antibiotics like Penicillin and Methicillin) is that it is also a mutagen- it actually causes germs to mutate and develop new characteristics. And every once in a while these mutations create a “Super-Bug,” a germ strain that is resistant to anti-biotics. For example, the deadly MRSA (reaistant staph), is such a super-bug.
Triclosan is most often found in anti-bacterial soaps, toothpaste, and shampoo. It is also present in many municipal water sources, odor-resistant athletic clothes and equipment, and even children’s toys. It interferes with the human body’s endocrine system (it kills our cells the same way it kills bacteria). Because it has snuck its way into nearly every corner of the consumer goods market, it is regulated by the FDA, the EPA, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Luckily, the FDA has finally caught on to the problem. The Washington Post has a great article:
…the FDA said that recent scientific studies raise questions about whether triclosan disrupts the body’s endocrine system and whether it helps to create bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. An advisory panel to the FDA said in 2005 that there was no evidence the antibacterial soaps work better than regular soap and water. (emphasis added.)
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According to a recent story in The Coloradoan (article has been removed), a Fort Collins man has been accused of scamming residents of Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, and Greeley by agreeing to perform landscaping and other services, collecting payment, and never following through with completing the work.
“According to the victims, [the contractor] is alleged to have either collected cash in advance from homeowners for services not delivered or to have hired subcontractors and failed to pay for services rendered,” [Fort Collins Police Spokeswoman Rita] Davis said.
These stories really twist my stomach, because every one of the poor people he stole from could have avoided their situation by following a few simple steps everyone should use when hiring a residential service, carpet cleaning or otherwise.
- Always agree on a price and scope of work before the work has begun.
- Ask for a list of references- and check them.
- If possible, ask a friend who they use as their service professionals.
- Always ask for proof of insurance and bonding.
Well, I haven’t posted anything in quite awhile – it has been an amazing autumn for us! We have had record growth this year, and today we are moving into a larger office to accommodate our growing number of staff!
I just ran across this video while taking a break from moving, and had to share it with all of the amazing women we clean for through Cleaning for a Reason. Enjoy!
Tired of staring at my badly tarnished unity candle, I decided to start exploring natural methods of polishing silver. (I had never actually polished any silver before since this is the only silver piece I own!)
Here is the recipe I tried first:
Silver Tarnish Remover
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
6 cups of warm water
1 sheet aluminum foil
Instructions:
Line a large bowl with aluminum foil (this is not to protect the bowl; it is part of the recipe.) Mix salt and soda with warm water in the bowl. Place silver items in mixture and soak for one hour. Dry and buff with a soft cloth.
This is the most common method I’ve come across in my years of natural cleaning research.
I didn’t have a container large enough to fit the entire candle holder in, so I used the largest baking dish I had, which submerged about half of it. Then I went to a movie.
4 hours later…
It didn’t really work. I experimented with adding more salt and soda and left it for another hour. Nothing.
I was pretty surprised by this actually, although I should know by now that not all natural cleaning recipes really work all that well (which is why I keep this blog in the first place!) This recipe is just so widely spread across the internet, I never really thought to question it. Maybe I did something wrong?
In the end, I used Tom’s of Maine Toothpaste (must be white paste not gel FYI) and it came out beautifully.
It would take quite a lot of toothpaste to polish something much larger than a candle stick though. If anyone out there in cyberspace has any other natural recipes for silver polish that could more easily handle large pieces, post them in the comments – I’d love to try them out!
Mix:
2 cups baking soda
1/2 cup liquid castile soap
4 tablespoons vegetable glycerin (acts as a preservative)
optional – 5-10 drops essential oil of your choice. Another alternative would be to just use scented castile soap, like Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap!
Store in a sealed glass jar. Shelf life of up to two years!
Mix equal parts walnut oil and lemon juice
Add a few drops of eucalyptus oil or other fragrant herb essential oil of your choice for fragrance (optional)
Rub generously into wood
Let stand for a few minutes and then buff with a soft dry cloth to a beautiful finish!
| It’s that time of the year again – mosquito season is upon us! Here are some tips to repel the nasty little critters that tend to invade our homes this time of year; naturally, of course!
Ants: Apparently more than just small children are repelled by vegetables. Ants are said to hate… cucumber of all things! Leave some cucumber slices or peelings around the point of entry; bitter cucumber works best.
Ants are said to never cross a chalk line. Other lines they reportedly will avoid: Already have fleas in the house? Trap them! Take a shallow baking pan and fill it with a few inches of water. Add a little squirt of soap. Position a lamp directly over the pan to attract the fleas. The light will attract them in, and the soap will prevent them from jumping back out. (This also works for moths.) Mosquitos: We all know that the best way to keep mosquitos off our property is to remove all standing water. But what to do if there is standing water that is too difficult to remove? Add 1 tsp of dish soap per gallon of standing water to destroy the larvae.Another easy way to repel mosquitos (and pretty up the yard!) is to plant marigolds. The little bloodsuckers can’t stand the smell. Got vaporub? Mosquitos are naturally repelled by the eucalyptus scent. DIY Bug Spray: Add 2 1/2 teaspoons of any combination of the following essential oils to 1 cup of vodka: Basically, try to smell like a tree! |
You may (or may not!) remember me posting some time ago about Green Irene, a wonderful new company providing Green Home Makeovers through highly trained Green Irene Eco-Consultants. Their Green Home Makeovers run around $99, and cover topics such as energy-efficient lighting, energy conservation, toxic-free living, water purity and conservation, indoor air quality, waste reduction and recycling, and emergency safety and preparedness. While of course it is perfectly possible to learn all this stuff on your own, a Green Home Makeover can save you tons of time in research and trial and error, which I think makes it a great resource for busy families.
For awhile I considered becoming a Green Irene consultant myself, just because it fits in perfectly with my passion for helping people remove the toxins from their daily life and go green! In the end, I decided I am already wearing too many hats and didn’t sign up for the training.
I was quite excited to recently find out Lara Williams with The Green Team Real Estate has officially joined up with Green Irene and become a certified Eco-Consultant!
If you are serious about going green, Lara is going to be an invaluable resource. Visit her website here to book a Green Home Makeover, or check out her blog here. If anyone has already had a Green Home Makeover, I’d love to hear all about it in the comments!
Green Drinks is a monthly meet-up here in Fort Collins where green-minded folks come together to network and socialize.
Green Drinks is an international organization started in 2001, with similar meet-ups happening all over the world. In Fort Collins GD is organized by Lara Williams with Green Team Real Estate, and meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at various locations around Fort Collins. Green Drinks is typically PACKED, and a whole lot of fun! If you’ve never attended, you should stop by and say hello!
The June 2009 Green Drinks is scheduled for Wednesday the 24th from 6-8 pm at TST Inc., 748 Whaler’s Way in Fort Collins. Join us on the patio for socializing and networking with fellow green-minded locals, complimentary beer generously provided by Odell Brewing Co. and American Eagle Distributing, and a selection of light food offerings provided by TST.
Tour TST’s groundbreaking office environment (complete with slide) and learn about their dedication to four levels of sustainability and innovative community design. Alpine Gardens will also be there showcasing native plants and landscaping options out on TST’s lakeside patio.
RSVP to Lara Williams at lara@greenteamre.com. I hope to see you there!
Fill a 32 oz spray bottle with warm water
Add 2 tablespoons of natural dish soap – I like Seventh Generation, Bi-O-Kleen, and Ecover. Don’t use conventional – it will be too soapy!
Add 20 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract to disinfect (find it in the supplements section of your local health food store.)
Optional – add 5-10 drops of essential oil of your choice for fragrance. Lemon or Jasmine are my top picks!
Shake gently, and enjoy your new scent of clean!